Tastings, seminars, cheesemaking classes and more -- you learn by doing at the California Artisan Cheese Festival, March 21-23, three days of wall-to-wall cheese in Petaluma, California. Shown here: a cheese and wine pairing class...

If enjoying cheese – pairing it with wine and beer and cider, cooking with cheese, or cheese-making, learning more about how cheese is made -- is your thing, this is your event.

Use the California Artisan Cheese Festival to launch your spring break in the northern California wine country. In addition to more cheese than you every dreamed of, get insider tips at the event from winemakers, restauranteurs, and cheesemakers for undiscovered side trips, restaurants where the locals eat, classes, events and tours that will put you one step ahead of the guidebooks.

Meanwhile you have plenty of time to pick up a bargain fare to the San Francisco Bay Area and wine country lodgings for the rest of your trip through discount travel sites like Travelocity, Expedia, or kayak.

Use the links for more information and to purchase tickets. Here’s the line-up:

FRIDAY: "Meet the Cheesemakers" an evening event of beer, wine, cider and cheese and the opportunity to rub elbows the people who make cheese happen. Northern California is becoming, for cheese, what the Napa Valley is for wine -- and this is your opportunity to meet the people who are leading the way.

Presenter: Laura Werlin, Author & Educator Taste grilled cheese, mac & cheese, and of course, cheese all on its own, along with specially selected wines to go with each cheesy bite; learn about new cheeses and taste some new recipes for old-fashioned favorites. $65.00 per person.

Presenter: Bob Peak, Co-Owner, The Beverage People Learn, hands-on, how to make mozzarella, in your own kitchen The class includes production and stretching of mozzarella curds, and finishes with cheese for sampling. $95.00 per person.

Presenters: Gianaclis Caldwell, Author and Owner of Pholia Farm Learn the secrets of adding flavors to cheese including infusions, smoking, marinating, and adding seeds and herbs. The class includes a tasting of several examples of delicious flavor-added cheeses. $65.00 per person.

Presenter: Judy Creighton, American Cheese Society, Certified Cheese Professional Take a tour through time by tasting a selection of bloomy, washed-rind, tome, alpine, grana, and blue cheeses specially chosen from a selection of milks and terroirs. Cheese tastings show how has cheese adapted to and created cultural diversity while developing varieties of styles and flavors.

Presenter: California’s Rock Star Artisan Cheesemakers California’s best cheese making regions are also home to award winning, non-dairy artisan products -- wine, beer, cider, premium proteins, and condiments created by local artisans. Your favorite cheese makers introduce you to their favorites; you’ll taste cheeses alongside artisan foods and beverages, then vote for the region that will be crowned Ultimate Culinary Throw-down Champion! $65.00 per person.

Presenter: Louella Hill, The San Francisco Milk Maid Make our own delicious wheels of Stilton-style blue cheese under the guidance of cheesemaker Louella Hill (SF Milk Maid). Learn which cultures to use, why blue cheeses differ from one another and finally, how to transform fresh milk into something aged and complex. All participants will take home a mini wheel of cheese for several weeks of ‘home affiange”

Presenter: Gianaclis Caldwell, Author and Owner of Pholia Farm Some of the easiest cheeses to make are also the most versatile. and delicious. Learn to ricotta, Paneer, and mascarpone; they are all in the same family and can be mastered easily and ready to use quickly. Also: how to use novel ingredients to make ricotta, how to fry and freeze paneer, and why mascarpone might just be “the new butter.” $65.00 per person.

This popular roaming feast showcases local Bay Area chefs using artisan cheeses in dishes from sweet to savory. Restaurants, caterers, wineries and breweries vie for your vote in this lighthearted competition of all things cheese. $75 per person.

9:30 11:00 - If you're only going to do one event at the Festival, this is it. An elegantly presented three-course brunch with champagne, presented in live demonstration with recipes by a local celebrity chef. Includes early 11:00 a.m. entry into the Artisan Cheese Tasting and Marketplace before it opens to the public. $115 per person.